


Run and Hide

by mistynights



Category: Cinderella Phenomenon (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Feelings, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 09:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19270009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistynights/pseuds/mistynights
Summary: "And then the pendant opens and a small note falls into his palm and Karma falls to his knees, hand clutched tightly against the pain in his chest."





	Run and Hide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quin/gifts).



> Title from Monster by Imagine Dragons.  
> I hope this is to your liking. I'm not completely confident with Rumpel's character, but I hope I still did a good enough job.

Rumpel looks at the beast’s eyes, paralyzed at the sight of it. He wants to run away, turn around and leave, but he knows Karma is somewhere around here. He knows if he leaves now Karma will be left alone to deal with the beast.

When he started caring for the prince, he isn’t sure. Jurien was the first one to bring it to his attention, actually, muttering something about worries and feelings. It’s been months since, but Rumpel has been trying to keep his mind off it ever since the pendant.

Until now, that is. Now, with a giant beast coming towards him with danger on its face, with a whole forest where the prince could have gone to sulk, with everything that has gone down tonight, Rumpel can’t help but think of Jurien’s words. Her words and Lucette’s glances and Delora’s less than subtle “Just tell him,” and Karma.

And isn’t that fitting? That he’s about to die at the hands of a giant beast and still all he can think of is Karma.

The beast takes another step towards him and Rumpel closes his eyes at the way its teeth glint in the moonlight. He knows can’t run, knows this is it for him, but maybe if the beast takes its time killing him, Karma will get a chance to escape. And that hope is enough for him.

***

Things are easy when he’s Miss Karma. He gets to walk around without fear, enjoy the town and the people. Some men try to catch his attention, give him trinkets, but it’s never as bad as when he walks out as himself.

So it’s easy, and Karma likes easy. Call it a bad trait if you must, but he likes it when things just work out. And well, with a curse like his, anything that isn’t terribly complicated is a welcome change of pace.

He settles into this new persona with ease. He likes the dresses and the makeup, loves getting to braid and adorn his hair. It’s simple, but different. So, so different to how his old life was. Here, he’s not a prince anymore. He’s a lady by days, a swordsman by nights. Despite himself, he enjoys the way his new life words.

He knows there’s now hope for his curse, so he settles and waits. He’s heard about the princess, about what she’ll be able to do once she turns eighteen. He settles and waits and protects his heart. And everything is just right.

Until it isn’t anymore.

***

The attack he’s expecting never comes. Rumpel wants to open his eyes and see what’s taking the beast so long, wants to think he’s brave enough to look death in the eyes as it comes for him, but he can’t.

Then there’s a growl and a presence just in front of him and he has to look up. The beast is there, of course, looking at him, all bright eyes and sharp teeth. Rumpel takes a step back and then another and another until a tree against his back forces him to stop. The beast growls again, and Rumpel must really be losing his mind from fear, because he swears the sigh sounds almost sad.

The beast doesn’t move forward again but still keeps his eyes fixed on Rumpel’s.

“Afraid… of… me,” the beast says in between growls. Rumpel opens his mouth to reply, closes it, opens it again. Finally he lets out an incredulous chuckle. He’s lost his mind, hasn’t he?

***

Rumpel’s proposal is the first time in a while Karma has felt such anger at someone being fooled by Miss Karma. He’s grown used to the way men look at him when he’s in a dress, used to their propositions and words. But there’s something about Rumpel that makes Karma’s blood boil.

Garlan notices there’s something wrong with him when they are training in the evening. He asks about it, but Karma just waves a hand. It’s nothing the young knight should worry with, he’ll be fine. He’s sure he’ll be.

Except then he keeps _seeing_ Rumpel everywhere. He’s yet to decide whether it’s worse when it’s just the two of them alone or when they are with others.

When there are other people around, Rumpel complains about his broken heart, about how Karma’s reject will be his death, about the deception that is Miss Karma. He’s lost count of how many times he’s had to restrain himself to avoid punching Rumpel in the face.

When it’s just the two of them, it’s like Rumpel’s a different person. He still teases and flirts, yes, but there’s a softness to his actions, to his eyes, Karma doesn’t know what to think about.

Some months into this, Rumpel starts showing up during his practice sessions with Garlan and Jurien and staying with Karma well after the knights have left. Despite himself, Karma enjoys their talks late at night and he can only suspect so does Rumpel. More than once, dawn finds them still sitting outside, talking about anything and everything.

Despite himself, Karma finds himself growing fond of this Rumpel; the one he only sees when they are alone.

***

Rumpel’s chuckle soon turns into a hysteric laugh. He’s lost it. He’s about to get killed by a beast in the middle of the forest, he’s alone, he’s more worried about Karma getting to live than for his own life, and now he’s hearing the beast talk.

And the beast, the beast is just looking at him, head tilted in way that seems almost human.

Eventually, his laughter dies down and all that can be heard are the beast’s breaths and his own. Rumpel rubs a hand through his face and leans his head back against the tree. This is it. Maybe the beast felt a moment of compassion after seeing his panic, but there’s no way he’s going to live for much longer.

As if on cue, the beast takes another step towards him and Rumpel looks at it with resignation in his eyes. And then the moonlight shines on the beast just right and Rumpel can see the glint of something red around its neck.

Something red and familiar, something he knows very well. All his fear, his resignation, bleed away from him in a second, replaced with boiling anger.

“What did you do to him?”

***

Things have taken a new order, have become a new kind of easy Karma can appreciate. Rumpel messed his order, but he managed to organize it again while including himself in it. Karma doesn’t need to think too much about it. Delora says overthinking will make his face crease. So he doesn’t overthink.

But then there’s a small packet outside his door when he opens it one the morning. Karma frowns as he picks it up. The packet is light in his hands, delicate. He goes back into the room to open it, not wanting curious eyes when he looks at the contents of it.

There’s a pendant inside in the shape of a rose, delicate petals a vibrant shade of red. He takes it out of the package, turns it around in his fingers, awed at the beauty of it. And then the pendant opens and a small note falls into his palm and Karma falls to his knees, hand clutched tightly against the pain in his chest.

His eyes fill with tears and his hands tremble as he looks at the note again.

_It has been brought to my attention that I never apologized for my conduct the first time we met. Please accept this as both an apology and a symbol of my affection.  
-R_

Damn Rumpel for messing everything up, for ruining his plan, for taking away his chance of waiting for Lucette to be able to break the curse. Damn him for clawing his way into Karma’s heart. Damn him for making things harder than they have to be.

***

Rumpel hasn’t talked with Karma much since the pendant. Karma thanked him for the present with a tight smile, and then all but vanished. Rumpel can tell when someone is avoiding him, and knows that’s Karma’s been doing since he got the pendant, but that doesn’t stop him from feeling deep anger at the thought of the beast hurting Karma.

Rumpel told himself, after a week of Karma avoiding him, that he would give him some space. That his affections were obviously unwelcome and he should let it go, let him go.

But he can’t let him go when he’s sure the beast has killed Karma. He just can’t. The beast looks at him closely before bringing a hand up to his chest.

“…Me,” it says, and looks almost pained as he does. And maybe it’s all the emotions he’s felt in the past few hours. Maybe it’s everything that’s happened that make him do it. Maybe it’s the adrenaline still rushing through his body. He doesn’t what it is. But whatever it is, it makes him give a step towards the beast, a word playing on his lips.

“Karma.”

***

He opens his eyes when he feels a hand in his hair. Karma blinks, startled to be back in his human form. Rumpel is surrounding him with an arm around his waist while the other tangles itself on his hair.

“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you sooner,” Rumpel whispers, his nose buried against Karma’s shoulder.

“But you did in the end.” This is strange, different, but Karma is surprised to see that it’s not at all unwelcome.


End file.
